Journalists’ and media associations, members of the Standing Working Group for the Safety of Journalists (SRG), strongly condemn the statement by the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, which endangers the safety of Veran Matić, a member of the SRG and president of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM).
The journalists’ section of the SRG is particularly concerned about the growing number of campaigns from the highest political positions aimed at undermining the work of those who strive to create a safer media environment, significantly increasing the risk of threats and violence against journalists in general.
On July 20, in a television appearance, President Vučić stated that those who had been “convicted because of Veran Matić” should have those records erased, and that Matić should “bring them whiskey or a bottle of wine” and apologize.
The journalists’ section of the SRG views such a statement by the head of state as an act of intimidation and an attempt to influence the work of Veran Matić, as well as the SRG itself, which is mandated to advocate for the protection of journalists and the improvement of media freedom.
The President’s statement seriously endangers the safety of Veran Matić because it comes from the highest state office and carries particular weight in the public sphere. Such rhetoric can be interpreted as incitement to violence and contributes to creating a hostile environment for journalists, who already operate under difficult conditions. It is especially troubling when such messages come from a position of power, as they not only delegitimize journalistic work but also potentially encourage attacks on media workers.
Although it remains unclear whom the President specifically referred to when he mentioned those “convicted because of Veran Matić,” the journalists’ section of the SRG reminds that only courts have the authority to impose sanctions, and that convictions—i.e., court rulings—are certainly not within the jurisdiction of any individual, except judges themselves.
Furthermore, Veran Matić is also the president of the Commission for the Investigation of Unsolved Murders of Journalists, which was established by the Government of the Republic of Serbia in 2012, when the current President was serving as Prime Minister. This Commission, under Matić’s leadership, collected facts and evidence sufficient to file an indictment and initiate criminal proceedings for the murder of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija, which unfortunately ended with the acquittal of the accused despite a first-instance verdict sentencing them to a total of 100 years in prison.
The journalists’ and media associations that are members of the SRG call on the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia to conduct a security assessment for Veran Matić and determine whether there is currently any threat to his life or safety. We also remind that Matić lived under 24-hour police protection for a full six years.
Finally, since the OSCE Mission to Serbia participates in the work of the SRG as an observer, we recall the Decision on the Safety of Journalists adopted by this organization in 2018, which calls on political leaders and public officials of member states, including Serbia, to refrain from intimidation, threats, or tolerating violence against journalists, and to clearly and unequivocally condemn such actions.
The SRG, established in January 2017, includes representatives of the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia, as well as six journalists’ and media associations—the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (NDNV), the Media Association (AM), the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), the Association of Online Media (AOM)—with the OSCE Mission to Serbia participating as an observer.
